Crepe fabric containing organic derivatives of cellulose



FIP8006 Patented: Jan. 24,1939

cam FABRIC CONTAINING ORGANIC DERIVATIVES F OELLULOSI 0mm. Dreyfus, NewYork, N. 1., and William Whitehead andHerbert Plat, Md., alsignors toOdaneoe CROSS REFERENCE.

PATENT OFFICE Cumberland, of

America, a corporation of Delaware r 12 Claims. This invention relatesto the manufacture of fabrics containing yarns of organic derivaties ofcellulose that have a uniform delineated crepe effect and/or apredetermined crepe pattern formed by a true creping of the said fabric.

This invention is a continuation in part of our application 19,410,filed May 2, 1935.

An object of the invention is the economic and expeditious production ofcrepe fabrics having a uniform delineated crepe throughout and having noblank areas of lesser crepe such as weft or warp bars. Another object ofthe invention is the production of crepe fabrics having a predeterminedpattern in different crepe effects. Other objects of the invention willappear from the following detailed description.

In creping fabrics containing organic derivatives of cellulose it hasbeen difficult, with cer-- tain types of weaves, to produce an evenshrinktreatments, such as the creping baths, etc. produce a true crepein the material of a pattern similar to that delineated in the materialby the embossing device. By employing this invention, the type or sizeof pebble of the crepe may be predetermined yet the crepe is produced bya shrinking of the material and not by an embossing of the material.Thus, a true crepe may be produced that has a very fine pebbleor'pucker, or

one that has a very coarse pebble or pucker.

By treating the fabric in accordance with this invention, the creping orshrinking of the fabric in the creping bath is made uniform and breaksevenly throughout the length of the fabric being treated. Thus, thefabric produced is of even width and there is no difference in thedegree or type of crepe imparted thereto in desired areas.,

The fabrictreated in accordance with this invention, some of thefilaments of the fabric having been slightly distorted, bent orotherwise effected due to their thermoplastic properties by the actionof the delineating device, readily crepes at those places. In thismanner the crepe effect in the fabric is produced as a true crepe in acontinuous manner. Prior to this invention, several minutes wererequired in the creping baths to Application October 2,1987, Serial No.166,9

(Cl. 11'I-2) produce a crepe. However, by treating the fabric inaccordance with this invention the material may be run through thecreping bath continuously and the speed of creping is sumciently fastthat the fabric is removed from the other end of the bath fully creped.For this reason the fabric may be processed on a commercial scale in thefull width, thereby preventing the development of boil-oi! creases andhard creases:

By selecting suitable designs in the delineating .rollers or other aidsand treating fabrics with the same, there may be produced in the fabricdesigns in different types of crepe. The designs may be in the form ofisolated areas brthey maybediagonal, longitudinal or cross-wise bars andstripes. Further, the fabric may be caused to contain a design in morethan one type of crepe. Thus, one area may be caused to crepe in largelongitudinal shaped pebbles or puckers, while other areas may be causedto crepe in a circular shaped pebble or bothof these may be super-1mposed on a background of fine pebble effect. Also, one area may becaused to crepe in one direction while another area is caused to crepein a directlon, say, at a angle thereto. K

In accordance with this invention, we pass a fabric containing crepeyarns through a device adapted to delineate the desired crepe pattern onthe fabric, the temperature of which and the pressure it exerts on thefabric being such that the design applied to the fabric is not perms/nently embossed into the fabric, and then treat the fabric in a crepingbath as normally employed in the art. By this method of temporaribbending or distorting of some of the filaments of the fabric such thatthe true creping produced, in a regular creping bath, breaks at a pointwhere the filaments have been bent may be employed to produce anysuitably predetermined, yet uniform, creping action in the material.

By the term "delineating", used in the specification and claims, it isintended to cover the light contacting the yarns of the fabric with araised design under such temperature and pressure that there is notproduced inJthe fabric a permanent embossing. The temperature may be solow and the pressure may be so light that the delineated pattern is notreadily visible to the eye. The pattern may, however, be more heavilyset in the fabric, but in no case should the fabric be treated sovigorously as to emboss the pattern therein, as the raising ofthepatternispreferablyleft to the shrinking of the materialto pro-f duce a truecrepe. I

This invention is applicable to the treatment of iabrics produced fromor containing crepe yarns of organic derivatives of cellulose. Examplesof organic derivatives of cellulose are the organic acid esters ofcellulose and the cellulose ethers. Examples oi the organic acid estersof cellulose are cellulose acetate, cellulose formate, cellulosepropionate and cellulose butyrate, while examples of the ethers ofcellulose are ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose and benzyl cellulose.The yarns may contain the organic derivative of cellulose in the form ofsubstantially continuous filaments twisted together, short lengths oifilaments spun together or relatively long discontinuous lengths offilaments so twisted that they appear in the 1s yarn as a staple fiber.

Fabric to be treated may be woven in any suitable manner and from anysuitable yarns, some of which contain organic derivatives of cellulose.The fabric may be woven from single or doubled M yarns or threads, orcombinations of these. Thus, there may be used threads of organicderivatives oi cellulose that are formed by doubling a thread of hightwist and a thread of low twist or two threads of uniformly high twist.The crepe yarns gs containing organic derivatives of cellulose may betwisted to their high degree of twist say from 40-100 turns or more perinch in one ortwo stages with .or without sizing, with resins, syntheticresins, gums, etc. before either or both stages. 30 Yarns, containing anorganic derivative of cellulose, may be employed that have a high degreeof twist and t t have been treated by precipitating lead te in thethreads, or the threads beiore twisting may be treated with materials 35such as ierrocyanides, thiosulphates, citrates, lactates, etc., or thethreads may be pretreated before twisting with a latent solvent, such aschloroiorm, tetrachlorethane, ethyl acetate, etc., or the yarns may betreated before twisting with hot water, steam, solvent vapors, etc. withor without stretching. Although any method of imparting a twist to theyarn may be employed, it is preterable to twist-the yarn, containing anorganic derivative of cellulose, or at least insert part of the twist inthe yarn in the presence or steam or water vapor. The steam or watervapor may be applied to the yarn either immediately before twisting,during twisting or immediately after twisting.

One method of producing crepe threads is to subject the filaments to theaction of wet steam during the insertion'of at least a part of the crepetwist, i. e., the twist above 10 turns per inch. Another process for theproduction of highly u twisted crepe threads of organic derivative ofcellulose filaments or fibers is to insert the crepe twist in thethreads in two or more stages, and during the insertion of twist in atleast the final stage the threads are steamed under conditions so suchthat moisture is present. Another process for the production of crepethreads of. organic derivative of cellulose filaments or fibers is toinsert the crepe twist in the threads and during the insertion of atleastthe last part or the crepe as twist steaming the threadwith drysteam. Still another process for the production of crepe threads oforganic derivative of cellulose filaments or fibers isto insert thecreiltwist in threads and either just before, during or imme- "10 l yaiterthe insertion oi. at least the lastpart .9 th crepe twist treatthe'threads with hot-wa- Combinations of these The thread mayaiso betreated :.with a :dresslngcontsining oils, Jatent- M di- (a luted:aolvents,

The processes above described involve essentially, therefore, theinsertion of a crepe twist in threads of an organic derivative ofcellulose by processes wherein. crepe twist .is inserted while thethread is under the influence of steam or hot water. The threadsobtained by these processes not only yield iabrics exhibiting very goodcrepe effects but are very much stronger than similar threads which havebeen twisted as much as possible without the special treatment withsteam or hot water.

The twisting of the organic derivative of cellulose threads according tothis invention may conveniently be conducted so that at least the lastpart of the track of the running thread in which twisting actually takesplace, lies through a body of steam or hot water. For example, thethread may be twisted on a device of the kind in which the thread isdrawn off over the end of a rotating package and allowed to pass throughsteam or hot water on its way to a winding device.

The twisting of the threads is very advantageously eflected on a deviceof the kind in which the thread is drawn oi! over the end of a rotatingpackage through a guide fixed substantially in line with the axis oirotation of the package and is thereafter wound on a bobbin or the like,the thread being passed through steam or hot water on its way from theguide to the bobbin. In this way the thread is subjected to the actionof the steam or hot water during the actual application of twist.

On the other hand, any other suitable crepe twisting device may beemployed. For example a ring twister may be used for the crepe twisting.Y

The ring twister is especially adapted to crepe twisting threadconsisting of discontinuous organic derivative of cellulose filaments orfibers.

The initial thread may already be twisted to a small degree, for exampleup to 10 turns per inch, 8. 8-, to 2 to 5 turns per inch or to suchsmall degree as is commonly applied in the production of artificialthreads by dry spinning organic deriva tive oi cellulose solutions andwinding and twisting the resultant filaments on a cap twisting device.

The duration of the treatment with steam or hot water may be relativelyshort, such as may be secured when the thread is travelling at a speedof 2 to 10 .metres per minute and is in contact with steam for about 3to 6 inches of its travel or with hot water for 1 to 3 inches of itstravel. Lengthier treatments may, however, be employed. Preferably thesteam or water should be as hot as possible and temperatures of, forinstance, 95 to 100 C. and particularly 98 to 100 C. are to berecommended, If desired, the steam or hot water may be employed underpressure.

The total twist applied in accordance with the new process will ingeneral be considerably less than the twist applied in accordance withprior processes. For instance, by prior processes it was customary toemploy threads having 60 to 80 turns per inch when the threads were 01'about 150 denier but, by employing this invention, twists of only or 50to 65 .turns per inch are satisfactory for the same size threads.

Hie crepe yarns, i. e., yarns containing a high degree of twist, formedor organicdertyatives. oi -cellulose,may be doubled with yarns' rorinstance, those having a'twist of mm more The crepe yarns of organicderivatives of cellulose may also be doubled with threads formed oforganic esters of cellulose that have been continuously saponified,partially saponified or intermittently or periodically saponified. Alsothe crepe yarn or threads containing organic estersof cellulose may bepartially or intermittently saponified after their formation into thecrepe threads.

These threads and yarns may be woven in any manner into a fabric. Theyarns and threads containing organic derivatives of cellulose may bewoven alternately with yarns or threads of other materials, such assilk, .cotton, etc. The crepe yarns containing organic derivatives ofcellulose may also be employed for the weft or warp. For large pebbleeffects the fabric may be formed having three or more yarns of righthand twist alternating with one or more yarns of left hand twist or viceversa. Fine pebble crepe fabric may be produced by laying either in thewarp or weft, or both, one yarn of right hand twist and one yarn of lefthand twist. Any arrangement of weaves and sequence of yarns may beemployed.

The fabric after formation is preferably treated by a delineating actionunder such conditions that there is not imparted to the fabric apermanent raised figure. The raising of the crepe pebble. or figure onthe fabric is preferably limited to the shrinking and buckling of thethread and not caused by the delineating treatment. The delineating maybe so light as to be difficult of detection with e naked eye or it maybe more obvious, but in all cases should not be permanent. Thedelineated pattern preferably is removable by washing and scouring andeven by shaking out the fabric. The delineating action is preferablyonly sufiicient to make the crepe the roller raised in intaglio.

break evenly. The delineating action is preferably performed while thefabric is in a moist or dampened condition. This damp condition may beacquired by treating the fabric just prior to entering it into thedelineating device with steam, hot water, etc. In *place of steam or hotwater the fabric may be softened by treatment with plasticizers such asglycerol, glycol and theiriierivatives and/or weakly polar plasticizerssuch as dibutyl tartrate, tributyl phthalate, etc.

Any suitable device may be employed to delineate the pattern on thefabric, such as the customary engraved roller which intermeshes withThis device should be used with caution. The temperature and pressureshould be regulated so that the fabric is not weakened or too much ofthe intended figure raised in the fabric by a permanent embossingaction. Other methods of delineating the desired pattern on the fabricmay be employed, such as pressing the fabric against an endless blanketof woven material, for instance, cotton duck, terry, etc. between smoothrollers. Alternatively, the fabric may be passed, sandwiched between ablanket-and another piece of fabric, for

example, an open weave'cotton fabric, thus causing theweave of thecotton fabric to impress slightly its pattern. 'on' the fabric to becreped. Another modification of the process may be the delineating, atone time of two pieces of fabric containing organic derivatives ofcellulose filaments. In this case, there may be employed two engravedrolls of similar or dissimilar pattern and two layers of fabric with anendless blanket sandwiched between them may be between these rolls at aclose and set gap.

When employing woven or knitted fabric blanknormal creping baths.

ets, or other material as the pattern in the delineating device, thisblanket or other material may be furnished with a little diethyleneglycol or similar plasticizer or softening agent,- the blanket beingpassed through a mangle to control the amount of the plasticizer orsoftening agent applied thereto prior to being sandwiched with thefabric to receive the creping design. In'emplaying a blanket or othersheet material-as a means of assisting in the delineating of the pat--tern, it may be treated with water and then it may or may not be heatedby the nip rolls to cause it to generate steam or other vapor to assistthe delineating action.

Patterns and designs may be formed in crepe in the fabric. Thus, thecrepe design can be modified in such a way that stripes running alongthe fabric are embossed with one pattern and other stripes with anotherpattern causing the crepe to breakdifferently at intervals across thewarp. Alternatively, the delineating action may be intermittent andcontrolled in design so as to produce any form of design. For example,

circles may be delineated on the fabric with an extremely fine designand the background or field of the design delineated with a coarsedesign. Any suitable geometric, regular or irregular designs may bedelineated on the fabric in differing types of pebble, and the designdeveloped in the The crepe starts to form where the pebbles are markedor delineated. The crepe thus formed is a true crepe caused by theshrinking of the highly twisted threads and is not an embossed crepe.The fabric having a true crepe may be washed, ironed and otherwisehandled without materially destroying either the design or crepe formedtherein.

Another modification that may be employed when using designed orengraved rolls as a part of the delineating device, is to smear theraised portions of the roll with 10, or 30% solution of sodium hydroxideor other saponifying agent by means of contact with a furnishing roll orother known means and in this way saponifying the portions coming incontact with the alkali and thus sensitizing and changing the aflinityin these places to cotton dyes and other direct dyes.

It is to be understood that the foregoing detailed description is merelygiven by way of illustration and many alterations may be made thereinwithout departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described our invention what we desire to secure by LettersPatent is:

1. Process for the manufacture of crepe fabrics,- in which the crepethreads contain filaments of an organic derivative ofv cellul whichcomprises delineating a pattern of lines on the fabric the fabric anon-permanent raised figure, which figure may be difficult of detectionby the naked eye, and subsequently treating the fabric in a creping bathwhereby a pebble is produced which is bounded by e lines of thedelineated pattern.

2. Process fo the manufacture of crepe fabrics, in which the crepethreads contain filaments of cellulose acetate, which comprisesdelineating a pattern of lines on the fabric under such conditions thatthere is imparted to the fabric a nonpermanent raised figure, whichfigure may be diflicult of detection by the naked eye, and subsequentlytreating the fabric in a creping bath whereby a pebble is produced whichis bounded by the lines of the delineated pattern.

3. Process for the manufacture of crepe fabrics,

in which the crepe threads contain filaments of an organic derivative ofcellulose, which comprises delineating in the presence of moisture apattern of lines on the fabric under such conditions that there isimparted to the fabric a nonpermanent raised figure, which figure may bedifiicult of detection by the naked eye, and subsequently treating thefabric in a creping bath whereby a pebble is produced which is boundedby the lines of the delineated pattern.

4. Process for the manufacture of crepe fabrics, in which the crepethreads contain filaments of cellulose acetate, which comprisesdelineating in the presence of steam a pattern of lines on the fabricunder such conditions that there is imparted to the fabric anon-permanent raised figure, which figure may be dilficult of detectionby the naked eye, and subsequently treating the fabric in a creping bathwhereby a pebble is produced which is bounded by the lines of thedelineated pattern.

5. Process for the manufacture of crepe fabrics, in which the crepethreads contain filaments of an organic derivative of cellulose,comprising relineating in the presence of a plasticizer or softeningagent a pattern of lines on the fabric under such conditions that thereis imparted to the fabric a non-permanent raised figure, which figuremay be difficult of detection by the naked eye, and subsequentlytreating the fabric in a creping bath whereby a pebble is produced whichis bounded by the lines of the delineated pattern.

6. Process for the manufacture of crepe fabrics, in which the crepethreads contain filaments of cellulose acetate, which comprisesdelineating different patterns of lines over different areas of thefabric under such conditions that there is imparted to the fabric anon-permanent raised figure, which figure may be difficult of detectionby the naked eye, and subsequently treating the fabric in a creping bathwhereby a pebble is produced which is bounded by the lines of thedelineated patterns.

7. Process for the manufacture of crepe fabrics, in which the crepethreads contain filaments of an organic derivative of cellulose, whichcomprises delineating a pattern of lines on the fabric under suchconditions that there is imparted to the fabric a non-permanent raisedfigure, which figure may be difiicult of detection by the naked eye, andsubsequently continuously passing the fabric through a heated aqueousbath whereby a pebble is produced which is bounded by the lines of thedelineated pattern.

8. Process for the manufacture of crepe fabrics, in which the crepethreads contain filaments of cellulose acetate, which comprisesdelineating a pattern of lines on the fabric under such conditions thatthere is imparted to the fabric a nonpermanent raised figure, whichfigure may be difficult of detection by the naked eye, and subsequentlycontinuously passing the fabric through a heated aqueous bath whereby apebble is produced which is bounded by the lines of the delineatedpattern.

9. Process for the manufacture of crepe fabrics, in which the crepethreads contain cellulose acetate, which comprises crepe twistingthreads containing cellulose acetate and during the crepe twistingsubjecting them to a softening medium, forming a fabric with said yarns,delineating a pattern of lines on the fabric under such conditions thatthere is imparted to the fabric a nonpermanent raised figure, whichfigure may be difficult of detection by the naked eye, and subsequentlytreating the fabric in a creping bath whereby a pebble is produced whichis bounded by the lines of the delineated pattern.

10. Process for the manufacture of crepe fabrics, in which the crepethreads contain cellulose acetate, which comprises crepe twistingthreads containing cellulose acetate and during the crepe twistingsubjecting them to steam, forming a fabric with said yarns, delineatinga pattern of lines on the fabric under such conditions that there isimparted to the fabric a non-permanent raised figure, which figure maybe difi'icult of detection by the naked eye, and subsequently treatingthe fabric in a creping bath whereby a pebble is produced which isbounded by the lines of the delineated pattern.

11. Process for the manufacture of crepe fab rics, in which the crepethreads contain cellulose acetate, which comprises crepe twistingthreads containing cellulose acetate and during the crepe twistingsubjecting them to hot water, forming a fabric with said yarns,delineating a pattern of lines on the fabric under such conditions thatthere is imparted to the fabric a non-permanent raised figure, whichfigure may be diificult of detection by the naked eye, and subsequentlytreating the fabric in a creping bath whereby a pebble is produced whichis bounded by the lines of the delineated pattern.

12. Process for the manufacture of crepe fabrics, in which the crepethreads contain an organic derivative of cellulose, which comprisescrepe twisting threads containing an organic derivative of cellulose andduring the crepe twisting subjecting them to a softening medium, saiddegree of twist being less than that normally required to produce acrepe fabric, forming a fabric with said yarns, delineating a pattern oflines on the fabric under such conditions that there is imparted to thefabric a non-permanent raised figure, which figure may be diificult ofdetection by the naked eye, and subsequently treating the fabric in acreping bath whereby a pebble is produced which is bounded by the linesof the delineated pattern.

CAMILLE DREYFUS. WILLIAM WHI'I'EHEAD. HERBERT PLATT.

